The Difference Between Framed and Frameless Cabinetry

Owning a home comes with responsibilities, like performing preventative maintenance, making repairs and doing remodeling. Home improvement projects can be on a small or large scale depending on what it is you want improved, and will likely require some decision-making. For instance, you may decide to replace old cabinets with new ones. You can choose to take on this kind of project yourself, working on it on weekends, or hire a professional to do it skillfully and efficiently. But you also have to pick out the cabinets.

If you’ve done a little research, then you know your options include choosing either a framed or frameless cabinet style. Both have unique advantages and come in a range of design options. Let’s review the difference between framed and frameless custom cabinets in Midland, MI so you can choose the best type of cabinets for your home.

Framed cabinetry and its benefits

Cabinet manufacturers in the U.S. have long built kitchen, bathroom and home cabinets using a framed construction. Framed cabinetry follows a certain construction pattern: the rails and stiles form a 1.5-inch frame (also referred to as the face) at the front of the cabinet box. It’s called “framed” because the construction resembles a flat picture frame when attached to the door’s front, and it also adds dimension to the front of the door.

With framed cabinetry, the doors are secured to the frame. This adds strength and sturdiness to the cabinet’s structure. The door hinges are attached to the frame face and shelves and are usually adjustable, but not always. Also, framed cabinetry allows for many design possibilities, which is especially great if you want to create a customized look to match your home style. Designs that can be used with framed cabinets include partial and full overlay, as well as inset cabinet doors.

Frameless cabinetry and benefits

The European way of manufacturing cabinets is opting for frameless construction. However, this type of construction has become a popular choice for American homeowners looking for simple, more contemporary kitchen and bathroom cabinet designs. The elimination of the face frame allows the cabinets to offer greater accessibility. Because of this, you may hear frameless cabinetry referred to as “full access” cabinetry. It doesn’t have a face frame, so it relies on a thicker box construction for stability, and only full overlay doors can be used, with the hinges attached to the sides of the cabinet box.

Frameless cabinets don’t have a face frame attached to the front of the cabinet box. For this reason, after they’ve been installed, you’ll only see the flat doors and drawer fronts. This look is aesthetically pleasing, bringing with it the kind of sleekness and simplicity that works with many different home interiors. Drawers tend to be larger and the shelves typically adjustable. Additionally, frameless cabinets lack a center stile coming down through the middle of the two cabinet doors, which means easier access for you and more space to store items.

Contact the team at Nowak Cabinets of Midland with questions about home cabinets or to start planning the design of your custom cabinets in Midland, MI.

Categorised in: Cabinetry

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